Grain-testing machine



Nov. Vl5, 1927.

A. V. CLELAND GRAIN TESTING MACHINE Filed Aug. e, 1925 gi/0 r/feys Patented Nov. l5, i927,

GRAIN-TESTNG MACHIIE.

Application filed August S, 1925.

The object ot my invent-ion to provide a simple inexpensive apparatus by means ot which the seeds, Wild oats and refuse Inaterial mixed with a sample ot Wheat can be easily and quickly removed to `enable the operator to accurately determine the grades ot the Wheat from samples taken at random in a car. These samples are collected when the cars of grain arrive at a terminal point and the proper grade ot the grain or the dockage is deteri'nined by ascertaining as near as possible the percentage of seeds and refuse material to the grains of Wheat in each sample. Evidently, the accuracy of the test or the grading determines the value oit' the carload ot grain to the farmer or shipper and it is extremely important that the proper percentage of the waste material to the Wheat be accurately determined when the grade is established.

l A further object is to provide an apparatus ot the class described which will be comparatively compact in construction, easily operated and require but a small space tor operation and storagea The invention consists generally in various constructions and. combinations all as hereiinutter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

ln the accompanying' drawings 'forming part of thisspecilication,

Figure l is a side elevation ot a doekagge grain tester embodying' my inrention;

l Figure 2 is a lono'i'tiuliual sectional vieu' oi the sauieg VFigure El is au end View;

Figure 1lis a. sectional vieu' on the line le-'loi' li" ire Figure 5 a detail sectional view shouing the arrangi-iinent ot .the pockets in the rotating,` drum; and

Figure 6 is a perspective iiew et one oi' the sections or staves of the rotating` drum.

ln the drawings, 2 represents a suitaliile base. `Mounted thereon at one end a bracket 3, supportinga hopper 4 wherein the sample ot' grain mixed with the seeds and othci refuse material is deposited. rilhe bottom ot this hopper is a trough 5 having` a 'feed auger 6 and a 7. A shaft t) is mounted in bearings on the bracket 3 and has gear 10 meshingwith the gear 7 and a crank 1l by means of which the shaft 9 may be revolved and With it the gears i' and 10 and the feed auger (l. The shaft 9 proieets into a rot: ting member that is octagonal Serial No. 49,109.

preferably in cross section composed of sections A and l5 placed end to end with the abutting1 ends Within a band or ring 12 and secured thereto by suitable means such as screws 123. Each cylinder is composed of a series oit' bara or .st-aves 1li and 1st made in any suitable manner, but preferably ot cast material, the staves 14 having` a series of Webs or ribs 15 thereon transversely arranged in such relation to each other that when the stares are assembled in an octagonal form, the ribs will iorm a continuous spiral Web leading 'from end to end ot the members. Between these webs, a continuous spiral passage 16 is provided and the bottom ot this passage in the slaves 1-1 is provided with a series of pockets 1T oif such size that they will collect. `the line seeds such as wild mustard and seeds ofsimilar size and shape delivered to the interior o'if the rotating member by the operation ot the feed or spiral 6. A hub 18 is secured on the inner end ot the shaft 9 and has spokes 19 radiating out to the bars or strives Within the band 12 and' through the shatt- 9 and the spokes 19 a rotary movement is imparted to the device when the shaft 9 is revolved. The trough projects into the separating` device 'to deliver the material from the auger at the receiving` end of the spiral. The pockets in the bottom of the spiral trom the receiving end to the middle ot' the rotating member are preferably ot substantially the same size and are adapted to receive round seeds such as Wild mustard and the like, aud in the rotation ot the niember, these seeds are carried up on one side and when they reach a preiletermiued point they Will be discimriged by gravity "trom the pockets. @n the up side ot the rotating` member, l provide. a pan 2() mounted upon au arm 21 that is adjustable on an upright standard by means of slots 23 and bolts 2d'. By this means, the pan may be raised or lowered until the desired elevation is obtained..v As indicated in Figure 2, it is positioned near the up side of the rotating member so that the seeds as they tall from the pockets in the member will drop into the pan. Any suitable means may be provided lior binding the staves or bars lll to- Agether, preferably by means of Wire hoops or bands 25. c

The second section B of the separator com prises similar staves llla but pockets lfL therein are larger and are adapted to receive the kernels of Wheat delivered thereto by the spiral, the webs ot this section 'forming a continuation ot the webs l5 and providing a continuous passage through the rotating member. The stares of this section B are held together by hoops 25 similar to those already described.

A pan 2G is supported upon a bracket 2l that is mounted in substantially the same manner as lthe bracket 2l, the pan being posi tioned near the up side ot the rotating member B and the wheat kernels entering the pockets 1T will be elevated thereby and discharged by gravity into the pan 26 while the oat kernels and refuse foreign material will pass along through the spiral, being too large to enter the pockets, and will finally be dis charged into the pan QT at the end o'l the machine.

lt will be understood that the pans lor receiving the separated material are mounted to be readily removable and can be easily taken out ot the machine at any time to be emptied or for any other purpose.

For the purpose'ol centering the staves or bars of the members A and B. I prefer to provide lugs 2S and 29 thereon arranged in pairs as indicated in Figure l, the lugs of one stave or bar overlapping the abutting edges ot the adjacent staves and holding the edgesl ot these staves in alignment in the operation ot' the machine. 1t will be understood that this rotating member may be made of any suitable length and the number ol' separations ell'ected therein may be varied according to the character of the refuse material to be separated trom the grain. Generally, however, a machine ot the type shown herein will etl'ect the necessary separation, the first section taking out the round seeds and those ot' such shape that they will enter comparatively small pocliets while the second section is adapted t'or receiving the wheat; kernels and separating them from the wild oats and the larger 'etree material which may be mixed with the grain.

'i'he machine. is prei'erably horizontal so there will be no tendency ot' the round seeds to roll down the spiral following the web though without entering the pockets to be separated from the rest ot the niaterial. By mounting the rotary member in a horizontal position, any tendency of the round seeds to roll to the discharge end will be prevented and the body oi grain and seeds deposited in the machine will be acted on by the pockets and held in the spiral in position to enter the pockets until the desired separation is ettc'cted. The we is of the spirals also compel the material to follow a path in the direstion of rotation oi the member instead ot sliding along the bottom thereof as the mate` rial mightV do if the spiral webs were omitted. ln other words, the horizontal arrangement ot the rotating member and the spiral web on its inner surface insures such a movement ol" the material that the round seeds and line material will be eilectually separated in the initial section ot' the machine and the wheat taken out in the following,r section.

In using the machine to determine the proper grade ot a quantity ot grain, the opcrator will weigh the sample before depositing it in the hopper, and when the material has been passed through the machine, the pans will be removed and the proper grading ol the carload of grain can be readily determined by the ratio ot' the seeds and refuse material in two ot the pans to the, amount ot clean wheat in the third pan. ln this way, thel user ot the machine can very accurately determine the proper grade ot a body of `grain. it will be umlerstood that a machine ot this type can be readily adapted tor separating wheat Ytrom oats, disregarding the liner material or ell'ecting such separation in another machine. In such case, it will only be necessary to extend the wheat receiving pockets throughout the 'lull length of the rotating member instead ot only through a section thereof as shown and described. It is also evident that the pockets tor receiving the round seeds and line imiterial may be extended throughout the length ot the member instead of terminating near the middle portion thereof. These, however, are obvious modilieations ot this separating machine and illustration thereot is unnecessary.

I clailn as my invention:

l. A dockage tester comprising a rotating member having an interior-ly arranged spiral said member having initial and second sez:- tions, the wall of the initial section between said spi 'als having series ot pockets therein adapted to collect round seeds and similar tine material, and means for receiving` such seeds discharged by gravity trom said pockets during the rotation ol said member, a second section of said member having pockets in its walls between said spirals adapted to receive kernels ol wheat, and means 'for collecting such herncls during the rotation ol said member, and a shaft rotatably supporting said rotating member and connected to said member only medially thereof.

Q. A. machine of the class described comprising a rotating member horizontally arranged and having means Alor delivering therein the grain and material to be separated therefrom, said member having groups of pockets in its walls, the initial group receiving the seeds and tine material Vfrom the grain, ay subsequent group being adapted to collect the wheat kernels, pans also horizontally arranged within said member upon the upwardly moving side thereof in position to collect the seeds and wheat kernels discharged by gravity from said pockets llo lilo

the

as said member revolves said pans being vertically adjustable, and means for directing the coarse material too large to enter said pockets through said revolving member to the discharge end thereof.

3, A. machine of the class described comprising a sectional revolving member, rows of sections placed end to end, each section comprising a plurality of stares or bars and means for securing them together to form a hollow member polygonal in cross section, the initial section having pockets in its walls adapted to lcollect the round seeds and fine material, the adjacent section having` pockets adapted to receive liernels of wheat, said staves or bars having transverse webs thereon forming` when assembled acontinuous spiral web from one end of said memberI to the other, said webs compelling the material delivered to said member to follow a rotary path therein, and be raised in said pockets on the upwardly moving side of said member, and means for receiving the seeds and line material discharged by gravity from the first group of pockets and the wheat kernels correspondingly discharged from the pockets of the adjacent group.

d. il machine of the class described, comprising a sectional drum, comprising rows of sections secured end to end, each section comprising a plurality of staves and means for securing the staves together', the initial section having pockets of one size adapted to collect seeds and the adjacent section having pockets adapted to collect kernels of wheat, said staves having transverse webs forn'iing, when assembled, a continuous spiral web extending from one end to the other of said member.

ln a device of the class described, a drive shaft, a drum connected only at its mid-portion with said shaft and having a spiral rib interiorly, pockets between the w orls of the rib, supports extending within the drum lengthwise, from opposite ends, and rcceptariles arranged upon the supports tti receive seeds discharged from the upv-,fardly travellin pockets.

o. ln a device of the class described a drive shaft, a drum connected only at its mid-portion with said shaft, and having a spiral rib interiorly, pockets in the inner surface of the drum between the whorls of rib, the size of the pockets at the receivn end of the drum being smaller than at discharge end, and receptacles independr 1j mounted and removably arranged within the drum at one side of its axis of rotation, to receive the seeds discharged from the pockets as they travel upwardly, said boxes extending inwardly from opposite ends of the drum substantially to 'the middle thereof.

hollow open end in the drum having pockets in its interior surface, a drive shaft connected interior-ly and substantially medially of the drum, and acting as the sole support of the drum, and adapted to rotate the drum, independently supported boxes extending inwardly within the drum from opposite ends, each box being substantially one-half the length of the drum, and being arranged to receive material discharged rom the pockets as they travel upwardly.

8. A doclrage tester comprising a rotatable drum having an internally arranged spiral rib, one portion of the wall between the whorls of the rib having a series of pockets adapted to collect seeds, and another portion of the wall having pockets to collect kernels of wheat, open top receptacles, one for each series of pockets arranged lengthwise within the drum, each having an outer wall ad jacent the upwardly moving side of the f drum, each receptacle extending inwardly from one end of the drum substantially to the middle thereof.

9. ln a device of the class described a shaft, a drum connected only at its mich-portion with the shaft and having series of pockets each of different size, in its inner surface, supportsfhaving shelf-like extensions within the drum receptacles removably arranged upon the extensions lengthwise of the drum to receive seeds discharged from the pockets as they travel upwardly, said extensions being vertically adjustable.

l0. A dockage tester comprising a rotatable drum having an internally arranged spiral rib, one portion of the wall between the whorls of the rib having a series of pockets adapted to collect seeds, and another portion of the wall having pockets to collec-t kernels of wheat, open top seed-receiving receptacles one for each series of pockets arranged within the drum, at one side of its axis of rotation, adjacent the upwardly moving side of the drum, with the open top at a level above the axis of rotation, each receptacle extendii'ig inwardly from one end of the drum substantially to the middle thereof, and each receptacle being removable.

ll. A -dockage testercomprising, a cylinder mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis, and having a spiral rib upon its inner wall arranged to retain and feed the grain, the inner surface of the drum wall between the whorls of the rib having pockets in groups of different size, and receptacles positioned within the drum to respectively receive and retain the seeds delivered by gravity from the diderent sized pockets.

l2. A doclrage tester comprising, a cylinder mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis, and having ka spiral rib upon its inner wall arranged to retain and feed the grain, the inner surface of the drum wall between the whorls of the rib having pockets, in

lll() lill groups of different size and receptacles positioned within the drinn to respectively receive and retain the seeds delivered by gravity from the different sized pockets, the receiving sides of said receptacles being parallel with the axis of the drinn.

13. A. dockage tester eoniprisinq a Cylinder mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis, and having,T a spiral rib upon its inner wall arranged to retain and eed the grain, the inner surface of the drum wall be tween the Whorls of the rih having pockets in groups of difi'erent size and receptacles positioned within the drum to respectively receive and retain the seeds delivered by gravity from the dierent sized pockets7 the receiving sides of said receptacles heinfr parallel with the axis of the drum, said receptaclesY extendinzer inwardly from opposite sides substantially to the longitudinal middle of the druln.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 3rd (lay of August, 1925.

ANDREV V. CLELAND. 

